Thursday, May 19, 2011

Africa needs strong agricultural research

We believe that Africa needs strong agricultural research to produce technologies adapted to African conditions. Increased investment in African agricultural research is necessary because Africa contributes only 0.3% of the world’s scientific results.

Although there are only 70 researchers per million inhabitants in Africa against 4380 researchers per million inhabitants in Japan, results show that Africa can carry out world-class agricultural research.

Increasingly centers of excellence are including scientists from several continents. The real question is what can be done to ensure African presence in high-level research and take into account African priorities.

Here in the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), top notch African researchers collaborate efficiently with European, Asian and North American colleagues. The scope of work covers the entire continent and its priorities as defined through feedback from the main actors in the African rice sector.

Instead of being marginalized, we must opt for openness based on mutually beneficial scientific cooperation.

AfricaRice headquarters is based in Côte d’Ivoire. Staff are located in Côte d’Ivoire and also in AfricaRice Research Stations in Benin, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania. For more information visit: www.AfricaRice.org

About CGIAR

CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.

Its research is carried out by 15 CGIAR Centers in close collaboration with hundreds of partners, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations and the private sector. www.cgiar.org